Characterful, close to central London and featuring a lovely mix of East End colour and general convenience, it’s Bow. Sitting pretty in Zone 2, Bow is a fascinating mix of historic London stories and renewed prospects. If you’re looking to find the best places to live in Bow, our reviews can give you some great places to start.
10 best places to live in Bow
Let’s dive right into Bow and dig out its top-rated developments. As always, this list of the best places to live in Bow has been determined entirely by the ratings of the residents who have submitted their scores to HomeViews. Verified by us, we can share with you the real opinions of the people who live in Bow. More importantly, they can guide you to the best property spots in the area.
*PLEASE NOTE these rankings take into account how many reviews a scheme has and how recently those reviews have been submitted, so may not match the overall star ratings shown. Buildings with a larger number of more recent reviews are given a greater weighting to reflect current building performance.
A new entry in Bow, and straight into top spot, it’s Riverstone Heights. This rental development by Way of Life is located on the banks of the River Lea. With a rooftop terrace mid-barbecue, a private lounge and dining room, the development is an elegant home in the heart of east London. Alongside thoughtfully designed apartments, the building’s first floor is dedicated to co-working; with meeting rooms, phone booths and a kitchen for residents. Residents can take meetings, or find a quiet corner to catch-up on their to-do list. Superfast WIFI and our on-site resident hosts are also included.
In at number two is Marner Point by Barratt London. This residential development is situated in Jefferson Plaza in Bow. Residents can enjoy access to a residents-only gym as well as a communal roof terrace. The development is moments away from Bromley-By-Bow Underground Station with links to the District and Hammersmith & City lines.
Hitting number three on our list is Ivy Point, which is part of Barrett London’s St Andrew’s development. Residents particularly appreciate the good range of facilities, which include access to a 24-hour concierge service, gym and a communal roof terrace. The development itself is located only moments away from Bromley-by-Bow Underground stations with links to the District and Hammersmith & City lines. This means that Canary Wharf is less than 10 minutes away.
Taking fourth place in Bow is Fish Island Village, a joint venture development by Hill and Peabody. The development comprises a collection of one, two and three apartments. Located conveniently between the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Victoria Park, the development is less than a twenty-minute walk away from Westfield Stratford Shopping Centre. It’s also only a 12-minute walk away from Hackney Wick Overground station with connections to the Overground. This new community benefits from a concierge and a resident’s gym, which also has bespoke artwork, courtesy of local artist Xenz.
Sitting in fifth place is Caspian Wharf, a new-build development made up of two sites divided by Violet Road in the centre. The properties are next to the Limehouse Cut and apartment sizes vary from studios to penthouses. Good transport links are enjoyed on both sides, as Landgon Park and Devons Road DLR stations are just over a five-minute walk away from Caspian Wharf, and Bromley-by-Bow Underground station is a 15-minute walk away.
In sixth place, this is another development that enjoys a great location both for enjoying local amenities and quick access to central London. St Paul’s Square is a Countryside development comprising 364 one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments. Both Mile End and Bow Road station are less than 15 minutes’ walk away, with connections to the Central, District and Hammersmith & City lines.
Residents at Gunmakers rate their development highly. Located on the banks of the canal by Victoria Park, Gunmakers is a residential development by A2Dominion Rental Only. It features a range of family homes as well as a mix of studios, one, two and three-bedroom apartments. Residents have a lot of praise for the design and useful layout of the flats, as well as the quality and variety of local amenities. Gunmakers is only moments away from Victoria Park and a 20-minute walk away from Hackney Wick Station.
Number eight goes to Bow Cross, a residential development comprising 1-2-bed apartments that have undergone a comprehensive refurbishment and get the thumbs up from residents. The development is located just outside the City of London, situated in between Bow Road and Bromley-by-the-Bow Stations. This means that residents enjoy quick links to the City, West End and Canary Wharf.
In ninth place is St Andrews, a residential development from the Greater London Authority and Circle Anglia, which offers 964 homes. Designed by Glenn Howells Architects, the development is a mix of smart new-build apartments and townhouses set around a courtyard area over six separate buildings in the heart of Bromley-by-Bow.
Our final spot in the Top 10 for Bow is Merchants Walk, a Weston Williamson-designed development, featuring a selection of 154 one, two, three and four-bedroom homes. The development is located next to the Devons Road DLR station providing easy access to the City, Canary Wharf and Central London.
Lock No.19, by L&Q, sits in Hackney Wick. This is located in the heart of East London’s newest creative quarter. The area is well known for its independent cafes, bars and warehouse pop up galleries that residents are able to enjoy. As well as this, locals benefit from living in an exciting location with popular […] Read reviews and details of Lock No 19, E3
Hudson House is part of the Caspian Wharf development and features include communal gardens, bike storage and 24 hour concierge. Located in the heart of Bow, local transport links include Bromley by Bow and a selection of useful A roads. Read reviews and details of Hudson House at Caspian Wharf, E3
St Clements is a development by Linden Homes Eastern, and comprises of one and two-bedroom apartments. Excellent public transport links come courtesy of Mile End Underground station, which is just under a five-minute walk away, and the development is a short stroll from Victoria Park Read reviews and details of St Clements, E3
Lime Quarter is a contemporary mixed-use development located in Bromley-by-Bow, London E3, created by Linden Homes. It features a variety of residential units, including 1 and 2 bedroom apartments, as well as exclusive 3 bedroom duplex penthouses, each designed with a contemporary style and modern amenities. Notably, Lime Quarter offers an on-site co-working area and […] Read reviews and details of Lime Quarter, E3
Omega Works is a popular development sitting on the corner the Hertford Canal and the River Lea, on what is known as Fish Island. Within a stone’s throw from the apartments are popular riverside cafes, bars and restaurants in the heart of Hackney Wick. The development is just a 5-minute walk to Hackney Wick station, […] Read reviews and details of Omega Works, E3
Sitting in 16th place for Bow is Bow River Village on the banks of the River Lea in East London. The development is a collection of one, two and three-bedroom apartments and duplexes. This property sits minutes away from Bromley-by-Bow tube station, and is just a short walk from Westfield Stratford, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the neighbourhood of Hackney Wick. Bow River Village boasts a wide range of facilities such as on-site parking suitable for cars, mobility scooters and motorcycles. The property also has a 66-capacity bicycle stand within the landscaped gardens, as well as an additional on-site cycle store located in the secure basement for those who want to explore the Rive Lea’s towpath, or cycle into work (Victoria Park, Canary Wharf and Old Street can be reached on bicycle in 14-minutes, 16-minutes and 23-minutes, respectively).
The Foundry is a new-build residential development featuring 121 apartments on Monier Road in Fish Island, Hackney Wick, developed by Weston Homes Plc. The property’s one, two and three-bed apartments are less than a 20-minute walk from Hackney Wick train station, while Stratford station is walkable in around 25 minutes. Crossrail will improve transport links […] Read reviews and details of The Foundry, E3
Essence is a residential building in Bow E3, built in 2014 by Clarion Housing Group. It sits less than 10 minutes walk from three underground and rail stations, and is made up of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments. Read reviews and details of Essence3, E3
A Higgins Homes development, Aqua Vista features a 13-storey tower, which comprises of 157 residential units with a range of studios and one, two, three, four and five-bedroom apartments. The development is adjacent to the Limehouse Cut and is less than a 20-minute walk away from Limehouse Rail and DLR station. Read reviews and details of Aqua Vista, E3
Bow East by L&Q comprises of forty 1, 2 and 3-bedroom Shared Ownership apartments. Completed in 2019, residents here benefit from private outdoor spaces, private communal courtyards and a children’s playground with CCTV. Bow East is just a 4-minute walk from Bow Church DLR station and an 8-minute walk from Bow Road tube station. Read reviews and details of L&Q at Bow East, E3
Living in Bow – old and new, side by side
London’s East End fosters incredibly strong communities to this day, and Bow is a prime example of this. It’s a delight to walk around, as Bow’s old conservation areas of beautiful Victorian and Georgian houses are clustered around a hive of new property development activity. With dozens of new sites springing up, offering thousands of new riverside homes, the old and new come together beautifully in Bow.
In terms of accessibility, Bow has a lot to offer. Canary Wharf and the City of London are both within easy biking distance. As for the Underground, there are plenty of Hammersmith & City and District Line connections, as well as the Central Line at Mile End.
If you’re looking for green spaces, Bow is home to Victoria Park, which is London’s oldest public park. There are plenty of other options too, such as Mile End Park and Grove Hall.
While Bow is attracting young professionals in greater numbers, there’s plenty that appeals to families too. Bow’s schools are generally either rated ‘Good’ or higher by Ofsted. Plus there’s a growing range of family-friendly restaurants and gastropubs opening up across the area.
What are property prices like in Bow?
While Bow is less than five miles from the centre of London, you won’t have to pay Central London prices. Average property prices in Bow stand at £496,500 for the 12 months to September 2024. This is significantly below the London average of £747,000. Flats tend to sell for around £428,000, while terraced, semi-detached and detached houses are, understandably, pricier at around the £900,000-£1,000,000 mark.
Want to know more about living in Bow is really like? Our area guide to Bow will show you more of the top spots to buy and rent. It also has more gems of knowledge about Bow’s history, transport links and wider community.
Bow embodies that fierce East End community spirit, while also being in close proximity to central London; so it’s a top choice for renting or buying if you want somewhere with lots of character that’s easily accessible. Read on to discover the developments that Read more about Bow
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